Council tax rates won’t increase for Swale residents

Borough councillors agreed not to up the authority’s portion of the bill when they met at Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, last Wednesday .

Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Kent Police and Kent County Council have also frozen their share – meaning the amount households will have to pay for the financial year 2011/12 will remain the same as 2010/11.

An average Band D property will continue to pay £1,414 a year.

The zero per cent increase was rubber-stamped despite the council receiving £1.6 million less than expected from central government.

In return, the council will receive an un-ringfenced grant of £191,000 from central government equal to the amount it would have received if it set a 2.5 per cent increase on its part of the council tax.

To generate extra income, members have approved increases in parking permit fees, Hackney Carriages and private car charges, fees from planning pre-application services and Section 106 monitoring, increased mooring fees at Queenborough Town Quay and allotment rents.

There will be no major cuts to frontline services and a zero reduction in funding to voluntary and community organisations – the details of which will be discussed when cabinet members meet on March 16.

Savings of almost £10,000 were also agreed.

These include £1,000 from reduced graffiti cleaning, £4,000 from reduced cleaning costs for collecting litter along the A249.

Members also agreed a reduction of £4,500 in rental costs for coffee machines.

In January, we reported how the council was losing more than £645,000 from its costs by not replacing 26 vacant positions.

The council is also set to receive an additional £749,000 from central government under the affordable new homes bonus scheme.

Removing £1.6m from last year’s budget, taking away layers of management and working with other local authorities is believed to have helped soften the blow.

Council leader Cllr Andrew Bowles said: “By planning ahead, I am delighted that despite the economic situation and the reduction in funding, we are able to set a zero increase in council tax, a zero reduction in frontline services, and most importantly of all, zero reduction in funding to voluntary and community organisations.”